Abstract

The phrase “out of love and affection” signifies pure altruism in living organ donation to relatives, friends, or spiritual guides under India’s THOTA 1994, where donors explicitly deny commercial intent via affidavits. Yet, relatives of accident victims invoke identical language to claim monetary compensation for “deprivation of love and affection” under MV Act 1988, creating a stark medicolegal paradox. This article dissects judicial tensions from Pranay Sethi (2017) to V. Pathmavathi (2026 LiveLaw (SC) 132), where emotional loss is subsumed under consortium despite critiques. Forensic protocols verify donor consent sans coercion, paralleling accident dependency proofs. Reforms urge harmonized recognition of non-pecuniary “affection” across domains, preventing exploitation while honoring benevolence.

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